Arizona Eagletarian

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Poll watchers in Tempe report problems

At one precinct (Mitchell Park) in Tempe, Arizona, poll observers reported the precinct ran out of Provisional Ballot forms. County elections workers that address issues on election day took two hours to come up with more. Numerous potential voters left with no indication they would return before polls close at 7pm.

Other poll observers posted on facebook that Arizona State University students are being told they must bring a screenshot of their MyASU account showing their local residence or dorm address to prove identity before being allowed to vote.

These problems come after reports last month that Maricopa County Elections was holding more than a thousand voter registration forms, filed by ASU students, in suspense.

Arizona's two-track system for voter registration risks leaving
hundreds of otherwise eligible voters unable to cast a ballot in the
Nov. 6 election.

That has sent elections officials and advocacy groups scrambling to
find a solution in the closing weeks of the election season.

In Maricopa County, officials Friday said that they will send letters
to the 1,344 people on their "suspense" list and issue them a formal
letter and certificate that will serve as a piece of identification at
the polls. (emphasis added)

That should remove the barriers that have, up to now, prevented some
first-time voters who registered using a federal form from getting the
go-ahead to vote this fall.

Regular Arizona Eagletarian readers may recall that during hearings before the Independent Redistricting Commission in 2011, Tea partisan agitator Wes Harris testified about his concern that college students should NOT be allowed to vote.

It's looking more and more like Harris is getting his wish, though Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell appeared on Arizona Horizon last week to deny her office would EVER do anything intentionally to disenfranchise any voter. The seven minute interview was arranged because of errors in voting information materials published by her office.